A Pharaoh's Light
by Amelia Wingheart
Summary: A boy goes through hardship to get back to his home
1. A Strange Encounter

Well, that does it! I have officially GONE OUT OF MY MIND! Here I am, walking down the usually peaceful streets of my village, that just happens to surround the great palace of the Pharaoh. My eyes widen when I see the shadows begin to extend, effectively making the night turn from calm and peaceful to creepy and dark. I shudder as a blast of cold, desert air hits me.

(There's nothing out there, Luka. There's nothing out there.) I mentally tell myself as I glance over my shoulder as the unshakable feeling that someone's following me enters my mind. I freeze when I hear someone laugh right next to my ear.

"Well, well, well. I never would have guessed that the Pharaoh's Hikani would be wandering around outside of the palace walls." A voice says from right next to my ear. I shudder as my mind goes blank for a moment. By the time it registers what the voice had said, something's dragging me toward an empty alley.

"Let me go! Dammit! I don't know what you're talking about! I've never even SEEN the Pharaoh face to face!" I shout, trying to pull his hands from around my chest, earning merely a chuckle from him. We suddenly stop, and he pulls me up against his chest. My heart begins to pound when I feel cold breath against my neck. I gasp when something sharp runs across my shoulder and up against my neck. Right before I scream out, a hand lands on my mouth.

"Shh. Wouldn't want you to alert any guards that he may of posted to protect you." The voice says as it begins to chuckle at something.

"And you can release the boy if you know what's good for you." A new voice says from the only opening to the alley. I glance the best I can around the person holding me, only to see a shadow in the shape of a human. "You know that there is no hunting outside the palace walls! If you wish to feed, you are not allowed to do such here." The second voice says, glaring toward us. My eyes widen when my feet suddenly hit the ground, effectively shocking me back to reality. I jump to my feet, only to freeze when I feel two sets of eyes turn to me.

"Move, and you will die right here." The first voice says from a few feet away from me. I press myself as hard as I can up against the wall of one of the houses, attempting to make myself look smaller.

(Please! Someone please save me!) I mentally shout as I hear something growling near me. The next thing I know, something wet hits my face. My eyes widen in horror as I realize exactly WHAT the liquid is. (Oh, fucking gross!) I mentally shout as I run my hands through my hair in an attempt to get the shit that had gotten in there out. (There is no way that the soak (1) will release this from myself!) I mentally shout as I glare in the direction of the stupid idiots that had actually allowed themselves to bleed on me! I gasp as something hits the back of my neck, effectively knocking me out...


	2. Meeting Evan

I slowly open my eyes with a groan, only to shut them again when the sun practically burns my eyes. I blink a few times before looking around at my surroundings.

"Where the hell am I?" I wonder out loud, not expecting anyone to answer me. I jump when I hear something moving somewhere nearby me.

"You are about half a day's ride outside the palace." A voice says. I swiftly turn toward it, only to flinch away when I see a man leaning over me. "Do not worry, young one. I shall not hurt you as long as you pose no threat to my family." The man says, sitting back with a slight groan.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to sound ungrateful. I was merely shocked that I was not within my bed." I say, looking at the ground in my shame of how I greeted the man that most likely saved my life from the midday heat.

"Think nothing of it. I am well aware of why you acted like you did." The man says with a slight smile on his face. I look at him with a shocked look on my face.

"You are?" I ask, unsure of exactly what I should say. A sad look covers the man's face as he looks at me.

"One as young as you are should not have had to see something like that. Whoever decided to do such acts in front of you should be punished to the severest of the law." The man says, glancing toward the sun before bowing his head slightly in respect. "Unfortunately, there are those that even Ra (1) cannot punish before something happens." The man turns to look at me. "Thought we may wish that he did." The man says with a knowing look on his face like he's reading my soul through my eyeballs. I look away unconsciously.

"The gods do not help the unfortunately, like myself." I say as I get to my feet. I walk toward the exit of the tent before turning back toward the man. "I thank you for taking care of me, and I hope to be able to repay you someday for your kindness." I say before walking out of the tent. I sigh as I begin to walk toward the glimpse of the palace I can see in the distance.

"Wait! Wait a moment! You can't go there!" A voice sounds from somewhere behind me. I turn my head just in time to see a guy about my age trip over a rock. I chuckle as I walk toward him, shaking my head.

"And why can I not go home?" I question, looking at the guy with confused humor in my voice. He glares up at me for a moment before shrugging as he gets to his feet before dusting his wrap off.

"Because if you go back there, they will kill you." The guy says, looking at me with a look that clearly says he's not kidding. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"Why would I be killed? I didn't do anything." I say in an unsure voice. The guy looks at me for a moment before recollection dawns in his eyes.

"You...don't know, do you?" He asks, looking at me with unsure eyes. I glare at him for a moment before collapsing onto the ground, completely ignoring the sand that's slowly creeping into places where it's most uncomfortable to have sand in.

"Does it LOOK like I know what the hell you're talking about? As far as I am concerned, you sound like you've been bathing in Apep's (2) shadow too long..." I say, shaking my head as I watch the guy with a wary eye.

"I have NOT! I would never think of doing something as indecent as such! To even suggest something as vile as such..." The guy mutters, glaring at me. I raise my hands in surrender.

"I am sorry that I insulted you...it's just that I've had a bizarre couple months...err...now that I think about it, it's been nearly a year since something decent happened..." I say, rubbing my temples with my fore fingers and middle fingers. The guy smiles.

"Well, on a lighter note. I just realized that I have yet to introduce myself." The guy says, causing me to look up at him in astonishment.

(Boy this guy sure has some severe mood swings. One minute he's happy the next he's pissed, the next he's jumping around.) I mentally tell myself as I watch him bounce around the area.

"I am Evan! I'm from Atlantis." He says, looking at me for something. It takes me a moment to realize he's waiting for me to say something to him.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Luka. I live in a small village just outside the palace walls...err..I did at least, until this happened." I say, gesturing around me. Evan looks at me with sorrow.

"I'm sorry your life has become such. Trust me when I say that Miran only picks people up that he feels need to be protected. He will take care of you until you're ready to get back up on your feet." Evan says with a hint of sadness in his voice. I'm quiet for a moment before something he said kicks me in the stomach.


	3. Atlantis

"Wait, wait, wait! Did you just say Atlantis? But why would you be so far south?" I question before taking in his expensive clothing for the first time. "And what's up with the clothes? Are you a noble or something?" I question, looking at Evan with a raised eyebrow.

"Well...sort of." Evan mutters, running a finger through the dirt in front of him. "I was accused of trying to overthrow my father and got banished from my home." Evan says, looking at the ground with a strange note to his voice almost as if he's...crying?

"Don't cry. I'm sure they'll figure everything out and you'll be able to go back home before you know it." I say, trying to sound comforting. Evan smiles sadly for a moment before a goofy grin covers his face as he jumps to his feet, and begins to bounce around.

Three weeks pass with nothing much happening. Evan had convinced me that staying with them would be the better choice, allowing both of us to have someone to talk to that's around our age. Currently, we're picking herbs to treat the newest member of our little caravan with. He's a merchant that got involved with a ground of tomb robbers that decided he was extra baggage as soon as he had gotten them inside the tomb and left him to death.

"So do you think he's going to survive? I mean, I've seen some people survive some of the demons with no problem, but this isn't a demon. He lost a lot of blood out there before we found him." I mutter as I stare hatefully at one of the herbs that had eluded my picking.

"I bet he will. I mean, if he wasn't going to, he would have already entered judgment by now." Evan says as he stares at his empty basket. I look at him, only to see the contents of his basket. My eye twitches in irritation.

"Evan...what happened to your herbs?" I question, a note of irritation in my voice that I may have been the only one doing anything. I mean, don't get me wrong. Evan and I had become close friends but...sometimes the fact that he's a noble from Atlantis is just irritating. I mean, he doesn't even seem to know how to pick herbs!

"This took them." Evan says as he raises a coyote pup. I stare at it with shock.

"A...coyote took all of your herbs? Can I ask how it even managed to get in there?" I ask, looking at the pup while a strange urge to cuddle it choking me.

"Apparently. I mean, one minute my basket is half full and the next-" Evan motions to his basket. I gently pick the pup out of Evan's arms, and cuddle it. He watches in surprise as the coyote curls up in my lap.

"I'll take care of it." I say as complete peace overcomes my mind. We sit there for a while, just watching the coyote sleep on my lap before we both jump to our feet when we hear the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground not far behind us. We both turn to see about six or seven horses speeding toward us. When our situation suddenly dawns on us, we both jump to our feet, intent on running toward cover. I hold the coyote pup to my chest as it burrows its head in my neck.

"Well, well, well. What might you two lovely's be doing out here on such a hot day?" The leader says as he circles us on his horse. Evan's eyes widen as I step in front of him.

"I don't think that's any of your business, now is it?" I demand, glaring at the man. He squints his wrinkle-filled eyes as he gets a better look at me.

"Well, I'll be damned! You're that kid everyone's looking for!" The man practically shouts as he grins. "I'll get a handsome price for you!" He says as he motions for one of his men to walk forward. I take a step forward, only to turn when I hear Evan shout out in surprise as someone grabs him. Unfortunately, that gives the man the opening he needed. He lunges forward, grasping one of my arms before swiftly bringing it behind my back.

"Ow, Ra dammit!" The man shouts as the coyote pup bites his hand.

"What happened?" The leader questions, looking at the man like he's lost his mind. The man rips the pup out of my arms, causing me to cry out, and try to grab it back.

"This...THING bit me!" The man shouts as he goes to throw the pup on the ground, only to stop when they see the look in my eyes. "What the..."

"Give the thing here." The leader says, holding a hand out for the man to hand the pup to him. He smirks when my eyes follow the pup. "Ah, I understand." The leader says with a grin as he reaches behind him, pulling a bag out of his saddle bag. He drops the pup inside before swinging it back and forth slightly in front of me. "If you do what we say, it shall not be harmed." The leader says, watching as I go limp, allowing the man that had been bitten to tie my wrists together in front of me. "All right. Let us be on our way." The leader says pulling on the rope connected to my wrists that the other man had given him. I gasp as I stumble forward two steps before I regain my balance. I glance over my shoulder, only to see Evan's arms and legs tied to a horse while his body is draped over it. I turn around when I feel a sharp tug on the rope before we begin our long trek to wherever they're taking us.


	4. Master

By the time our third night had come, I had attempted to escape over seven times. All of which ending in me being caught and beaten. Evan had also been made to walk after he had woken up from the small coma he had been put into when one of the men had hit him on the back of the neck.

"Well, never thought I'd be so glad to get rid of these two." The leader says, shaking his head. Most of the other men nod, thinking of how I had poured boiling water all over one of the men during my last escape attempt.

"So when are we going to get to Elysia?" one of the men ask, looking at the leader with questioning eyes. The leader smiles.

"By nightfall." The leader says as he looks back at me as I glare at him. "You hear that, bitch? You'll be somewhere else and someone else's problem!" he says as he begins to hum to himself.

We walk into the grand city of Elysia around midday, and head straight toward the slave sales. When we get there, we're forced to stand there until an elderly man walks up to us. He looks at our teeth, back and eyes before deciding something. He walks up to the man I assume runs the slave sale. Soon after, he walks back up to us and leads us away.

A year passes with nothing much happening. I had become a slave in the old man's household doing everything from cooking to taking care of the stables. Evan had been sold to a man in Atlantis. I hadn't talked to him for almost six months.

"Master?" I ask, walking inside the room with the tray holding my master's dinner, and lower my eyes.

"What is it?" he demands in his usual angry tone. I bow as much as I can with the tray in my hands.

"I have brought you your dinner, master." I say in an even yet submissive tone.

"Just set it over there and leave." He commands, motioning toward the small table that is near his desk he's currently working at. I bow slightly once again before walking forward, setting the plate down gently as to stop it from making too much noise or breaking, and walk back toward the door.

"If it is alright with you, I shall be retiring to the slave quarters for the night." I say as I stop at the door. I hear my master 'hn'. "Thank you, master." I say as I walk out of the room, and toward the slave quarters. As I walk inside them, I turn to glare as two arms wrap around my waist. "What do you want?" I demand, glancing back at the bastard that had become far too touchy-feely for my taste named Ahue. He instantly releases me when he sees the death stare within my eyes.

"I wanted to see how my precious is doing. Is there something wrong with that?" he asks, grinning at me once he gets far enough away where if I snap he's not going to get hurt.

"Besides the fact that I am not yours….nothing. Now leave me be. I wish to actually get some sleep tonight." I say as I walk toward my bed roll lying in the far corner. Once I get there, I collapse onto it with a sigh.

I wake up to the alarms going off in the slave quarters signaling that there was either an attack….or someone was supposed to report to the master's study. My foggy brain sits there for a moment before realizing that it's the latter of the two and it's the alarm for myself. My eyes widen as I look out the window, only to see Ra already far into the sky. I shoot to my feet before quickly stumbling to get my clothing on and running out the door. As soon as I get out of the room, I run into none other than Yahn, the head cook.

"The master isn't pleased that you've kept him waiting for so long. He has demanded that you either report immediately or you will be whipped to rival Ra's fury." She says in a hurried voice as she glances around. I nod quickly before thanking her and running off toward the master's study. As soon as I get to the door, I stop before slowly knocking.

"WHO IS IT?" the master demands in an angry voice. I flinch at the prospect of being at the receiving end of that fury. I hadn't been in nearly four months.

"It is I, master." I say in a quiet voice before closing my mouth.

"Well then, get in here." He demands. I quickly, yet gently open the door and walk inside the room. "Shut the door. What I have to say has nothing to do with those outside." Master says, raising his head from the parchment he had been writing on to look at me.

"Yes, Master." I say as I gently close the door, and lower my head. He clears his throat.

"I hope you have a good reason for keeping me waiting. I had thought you had been trained well enough to know better." Master says in a serious voice as he continues to burn a hole into my head as his stare continues.

"I am sorry, Master. I had been asleep, and did not hear the alarm go off." I say, only to flinch when I hear the feet of the Master's chair squeal on the floor as he stands up and walks over to his window.

"Well, I shall forgive you this one time as I truly do not have time to punish you." The Master turns to look at me with a serious look on his face. "But be aware that if such things ever happen again, I shall not hesitate to punish you to the most severe." He says before sighing. "As it is, we are leaving in an hour's time." He says. I look up at him in surprise, before lowering my head.

"If my master will allow me to inquire as to where we are going?" I ask in a quiet voice as not to stir the Master's wrath. He turns to me with a bored look on his face.


	5. Patition

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Heres a petition some one made: www(dot)ipetitions(dot)com/petition/lemons-for-fanfiction/

Heres a forum: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/topic/111772/63683250/26/#

If you could do what some other authors have done and post this petition as a temporary new chapter on some of your stories to help spreed the word? It would help a lot it's how I found out about this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Wolvenstrom

Donalgraeme

The Neo Productions

Xireana Zetsubou

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Wolfpackersson09

JAYSEN

Serena6686

shadowrealm818

Amelia Wingheart


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